Question by emily

Whenever someone tells me that they use well water, my response is: "Get your water tested!" Those of us who are on public water supplies can count on the water being regularly tested by the utility, and we can count on being able to access that information, since it is legally required to be given to all the customers. Of course, there can still be a hitch, since if the source of contamination is your pipes, that won't appear in the report.  
 
A blue or green color in your water could be caused by a number of things. Some microorganisms can leave different colors, including blue, on porcelain. If you have copper pipes, they may be corroding if the pH of your water is low. Or there may be metals in the well water itself. Although the blue stuff might or might not be a problem, there are plenty of contaminants that can occur in well water that have no color, taste or smell. 
 
I would suggest that you have your water tested by a state-certified lab, and then you can look for a filtration system that's certified to remove whatever contaminants you have. Read NRDC's Consumer Guide to Water Filters to learn more.

I have a new well and live on the top of the mountain so Iknow I don't get runoff from anything. My problem is that we drank our water and the guy who drilled our well said our water was good to drink. I have never had it tested, I just took his word for it and besides, it taste fresh and we like it. lately my water has been dirty, a yellowish brownish look. Just like the dirt around where the well was dug. I have stains in my toilets, tubs, and sinks. I won't wawsh white clothes in it and we quit drinking it. How do I have my water tested without alot of cost. I am a mother of two and we are not financially able to get one of those huge filters to filter our well. I have never ran out of water.....we seem to have plenty. Four showers a day and lots of laundry, not to mention I water all my plants and my yard in the summers. HELP! What advice can you give me?